Drive a Ferrari whist ashore

P&O Cruises have come up with one of their most inovative ideas for a shore excursion. Driving a Ferrari around town for the day is one of a set of options available along side the regular shore based excursions currently on offer. If that sounds too scary then how about racing a private yacht along the coast. P&O Cruises managing director Nigel Esdale said: “We are attracting more new cruise passengers than ever before and these holidaymakers are looking for something a little different to do on shore than a guided coach tour. “We can now offer them experiences that simply would not be possible on any other type of holiday.” The Ferrari option is of course available in Italy, to cruisers who arrive in Livorno, while racing a private Beneteau 40 yacht might appeal when your cruise takes in Antigua. Zip wiring trips through the rainforest can be experienced in Jamaica. For the more romantic amongst us there is the opportunity to create your very own personal fragrance whilst in Grasse, near Cannes, with help from a master perfumer. Exploring, glaciers and ice-fields near Reykjavik may well appeal to some. Some of these new excursions are available now with others available in 2009.

MSC Introduce Online Check-in

MSC Express is a new service introduced by MSC Cruise Lines that allows passengers to check-in online for their cruise.
MSC are confident that this will save passengers substantial amounts of time by way of reduced queues, it is available in all Northern European and Mediteranean ports. Prior to the cruises’ departure. Passengers can visit the Crusie lines website http://www.mscexpress.net/ and enter the necesary details, the print out they then recieve will be used to fast track them on arrival at the port.

Express check-in desks will spped up the whole process. “We hope that this new service will help our passengers to start their trip sooner and ultimately" a company spokesman said.

P&O Ban Smoking on 3 Vessels from October

P&Ohave introduced a smoking ban on 3 ships from 3 October 2008

This will apply to all inside areas onboard the Oceana, Ventura and Artemis. The family orientated Oceana and Ventura along with the Adults only Ventura will however still allow smoking in designated area outside on all 3 ships. Passengers will also be allowed to light up on their cabin balcony. Being a British company, P&O Cruises are falling in line with UK law which prohibits smoking in all indoor public areas.

Costa Cruises plan for the future

Costa Cruises are looking to build on their success by opening new routes and markets. Their plans will not be revealed until September as they make plans for the deployment of their expanded fleet for the year 2010. Costa Cruises have led the way in the introduction of cruises that appeal to everyone with itineraries to regions such as Dubai, the Indian Ocean and Asia. Sales for 2009 are already higher than at the same time last year for 2OO8.

Plans also include a double naming ceremony of the 3,78O-passenger Costa Pacifica and the 2,826-passenger Costa Luminosa. This will take place in Genoa on June 5 2009.
The larger ship will then ply it's trade in the Mediterranean while Luminosa will operate out of Amsterdam with voyages to the North Cape.

The Cruise line have plan to add five more vessels to the fleet by 2012, giving them a total of 17 operating Ships.

Get Married by the Captain aboard an Azamara Cruise

Guests can now get married at sea by captains onboard Azamara Cruises’ and Celebrity Cruises' ships. The captain-led wedding ceremonies have been launched to complement the existing vow renewal and in-port wedding offerings. "While many of our guests come onboard seeking a once-in-a-lifetime wedding or vow renewal location, and we've been happy to provide them with in-port weddings led by a local official, their number-one request is for captains to perform the ceremony," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Azamara Cruises and Celebrity Cruises Vice President of Hotel Operations. "Now, we're able to fulfill that wish, while sailing the open waters of the world." Celebrity Cruises, in partnership with The Wedding Experience, has previously offered onboard vow renewals at sea and in-port wedding ceremonies, and with the recent re-registration of seven of Celebrity Cruise's eight ships in Malta, where Azamara Cruises' two ships are also registered, government regulations have changed to allow Captains to perform legal marriages at sea. Guests being married at sea by Azamara Cruises’ and Celebrity Cruises’ captains will be offered a variety of packages that include private receptions in their ship's specialty restaurant to cake and champagne. Basic Captain-performed wedding packages cost from $2,500. Guests who wish to take their love to new heights can also enjoy Celebrity Cruise's unique offering on its cruisetours to Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge and The Hotel Alyeska, in Alaska where guests can get married or renew their vows amidst the breathtaking hanging glaciers of the Girdwood Valley, or with stunning views of Mt. McKinley as a backdrop. These ceremonies can take place from June to September as part of a Celebrity Cruises pre- or post-journey cruisetour. Guests should book their wedding in advance of their sailing in order to allow time for the processing of licenses and other legal documents.

Book these at CruiseDirect.